White Ferns right down to business
Turn left rather than right. That move marks one small step for the White Ferns, but one giant leap for cricketkind when the side flies to the World Cup in England next month.
New Zealand coach Haidee Tiffen named her 15-strong squad on Tuesday in pursuit of the country’s second World Cup, however, the announcement was overshadowed by the ongoing Velvet Revolution in the women’s game.
They will travel business class to the tournament (or anywhere) for the first time courtesy of the International Cricket Council (ICC); a right their male counterparts have accepted as the status quo for years. Compare that to last year’s World T20 in India. The men travelled up front but the women were sent to economy.
In addition, every women’s World Cup match will be broadcast either on television or live-streamed for the first time, including the use of the Decision Review System.
In another transition towards parity, the World Cup prize money has been increased from $290,000 to $2.9 million. By comparison, the winner of the men’s Champions Trophy pockets $3.2 million with tournament prize money totalling $6.5 million. Debbie Hockley, the former New Zealand captain and now president of the governing body, told Radio Sport Breakfast the efforts to offer business- class flights would be appreciated.
“On a long-haul flight anything that helps you feel fresher at the other end has a benefit. “It is significant ... another way of showing that the ICC are trying to get parity but the main focus is how they [the White Ferns] perform as cricketers.”
Hockley, a World Cup winner alongside Tiffen in 2000, acknowledged it was part of a long fight to get due recognition.
“We’ve always been niggling in the background. Probably some of that agitating and encouragement contributed to New Zealand Cricket’s ‘women in cricket’ strategy [released in November].
“NZC got to the point of putting that out, which is fantastic, and working hard on the women’s game.”
Add 10 NZC women’s contracts worth $10,000 — plus match fees — alongside many White Ferns playing in the Australian and English T20 leagues, and a significant income stream takes shape.
Sophie Devine was selected in her third World Cup squad after recovering from a broken thumb. She told Radio Sport there had never been a better time to be a women’s cricketer.
“In the last couple of years the women’s game has completely taken off here, in Australia, and in England. With the support of the ICC it becomes a career path for young females in this country.
“Doing something you love is a massive plus, but doing something to live off makes it more exciting.”